3 giant Mets decisions for Steve Cohen becoming easier with each loss

2) NY Mets GM Billy Eppler has proven he doesn’t have the magic touch

Does Cohen start completely from scratch next year? Let’s say the Mets win about 75 games. Is it enough for him to keep the manager or general manager next season? Starting over is something he’d probably like to avoid. The club went through a litany of GMs in 2021. Some stability could do the franchise good.

What won’t do them any good is having a guy like Billy Eppler spoil the year by ignoring major weaknesses and spending Cohen’s money in unwise ways. Yes, the struggles from some of the big ticket free agents isn’t so much on him when it’s clear the owner had as much, if not more, of the input.

Eppler has yet to make a stunningly positive move during his time with the Mets. The transactions that have worked or done well are ones any could’ve made. Worse is how many of his failures were obviously doomed from the start. Nobody could’ve possibly believed the ill-fated Darin Ruf trade was a good move to make.

There have been times when Eppler decisions looked savvy and successful. Jeff Brigham had a stretch for the Mets earlier this year where he looked solid. Even John Curtiss, mostly in the spring, was headed toward becoming one of those relievers the Mets stole off the scrapheap. 

Eppler has yet to prove himself as anything more than someone who throws money at free agents. His trades are almost all universally stinkers with the Chris Bassitt deal as the lone acceptable one in his tenure. The more the Mets slide in the standings, the easier it’ll be for Cohen to get rid of Eppler.